It is important that an environment is provided, for a welder fabricating or repairing a pipeline, that is shielded from the wind in order to prevent the wind from pushing the molten metal away from the desired location when doing a weld.
Traditionally, a windboard has been used to shield a welding site on a pipeline from the wind. A typical windboard comprises a square piece of plywood with semicircular cut-outs of different sizes, formed along the margin of the board to accommodate different diameter pipe. The board is held upright from the pipe with the cut-out fitting around it.
One problem with the windboard, however, is that it is awkward for the welder to transport from site to site. Further, the windboard is not attachable to the pipe and therefore it is necessary for a second person to hold the windboard in place while the welder welds the pipe.
One object of the invention is to provide a windguard that is easily and reversibly attachable to a portion of pipe.
Another object of the invention is to provide a windguard that is adjustable to accommodate a wide range of diameter pipes, typically 2 to 24 inches in diameter.
Another object of the invention is to provide a windguard that is collapsible, hence easily transportable from site to site.